1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a fixing device (connector) for an LED (light Emitting Diode) (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2005-340454, Paragraphs 0014 to 0017, FIG. 1).
This fixing device is used for fixing an LED to a base part made of an insulating material, such as a housing of a tale lamp of a vehicle, and electrically connecting the LED and a power supply to each other, and includes a pair of lead frames which are integrally connected. One of the pair of lead frames has a shape in which the shape of the other of the pair of lead frames is inverted in respect of the right and left sides. One lead frame is the same in size as the other lead frame. The pair of lead frames are connected by a connection piece.
The pair of lead frames each include a frame body, a curling portion, and an elastic piece. The frame body is plate-shaped. The frame body is formed with screw holes. The curling portion is connected to the frame body, and holds the LED placed on the frame body in a manner capable of being inserted and removed. The elastic piece is connected to the frame body, and is brought into contact with an associated one of lead terminals of the LED held by the curling portion.
To mount the above-mentioned fixing device to the base part, first, screws inserted through the screw holes are screwed into screw holes in the base part to thereby fix the pair of lead frames to the base part, and then, the pair of lead frames which are integrally connected is divided into two separate lead frames by cutting the connection portion.
Although this fixing device is used as a connector for a tail lamp of a vehicle as mentioned above, to use this fixing device e.g. as a connector for an LED for backlight, it is necessary to provide an insulating plate between the pair of lead frames and a metallic chassis on which the pair of lead frames are mounted. Therefore, it is necessarily required to prepare the insulating plate suitable for mounting the pair of lead frames, and fix the insulating plate on the chassis by screws or the like.
Further, if the pair of lead frames is mounted on the chassis using the insulating plate, it is required to then perform the operation of dividing the pair of lead frames into two separate lead frames by cutting the connection portion which connects the pair of lead frames, and hence this makes the operation of mounting the lead frames on the chassis complicated.